In the past year, we have continued our work on biofilm formation and gene regulation in S. epidermidis.[unreadable] We established an animal model to monitor S. epidermidis biofilm-related infection online using luciferase expression technology and showed that S. epidermidis biofilm-related infection in that model is strongly dependent on animal immune status. Furthermore, we continued our longstanding investigation of quorum-sensing mechanisms and their impact on biofilm formation and biofilm-associated infection by elucidating specifics of quorum-sensing regulation by the AI-2 system in S. epidermidis. Moreover, we identified the DNA-binding protein SarZ as a key regulator of S. epidermidis biofilm formation and biofilm-associated infection in collaboration with Dr. Gao's group in Shanghai.